Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-12-15

wages. and perhaps before he reaches his home
Is obliged, in a purchase for family use OF aI
article which embraces his own labor to re-
: turn in the payment Of the increase I'm price
which the tarin permits; the hard learned com.
pensation OF many days OF toll
FALSE PHILo sorHY FOR FARMERs.
The farmer and the agriculturist who manu-
facture nothing, but who pay the increased
price which the tariff imposes: upon every agri
cultural Implement upon all he wears and
upon all he uses, and owns, except the increase
OF his hocks and herds and such things as
his husbandry produce from the soil, is invited
70 aid IN maintaining the present situation, and
ne IS told that high duty ON imported wool ID
necessary for the benefit OF those who have
sheep TO shear, N order that the price OF theii
wool may be increased. They OF course are
not reminded that the farmer who has no sheep
10 by this scheme obliged in his pur-
pay tribute sS SiS fso% HoSn far@es sDDes ss sS
wel as TO the manufacture and met-
chant nor Is any mention made OF the
fact that the sheep-owners themselves and
their households must wear clothing and use
other articles manufactured from the wool they
sell at tariff prices, and thus consumers
must return their share Of this increased price
1 think it may be fairly assumed that a large
proportion OF the sheep owned by the farmers
Locks nnmberins seogfJtai- twenty-five 10 fityyi,
| The duty tho grade OF imported wool
which these sheep yield is 40 cents each or
pound If Of the valne OF 10 cents or less and
AZ cents IL OF the value OF moro than 81 cents. II
the liberal estimate OF six pounds be allowed
| fer each fleece tine dHty ther, on would be 90 or
~ cents, and this may lie taken as the utnIo 1t
enhancement OF its price to the tarmer by
reason OF this duty. Eighteen dollars would
| thus represent the increased rrico of the
WOOL from twonty-hve sheep, and i9j that
from the wool OF hity sheep. and at
present values this addition would amount to
about one-third OF its pr.cs II, upon its sale,
the farmer receives tuis or loss tariff profit,
the wool leaves his hands charged with pre-
clsely that sum, whi h, in all its changes, will
adhere 20 II until it reaches the consumer
When manufactured into cloth and other goods
and material for use ats cost is not only increas-
ej 10 the extent of the farmers tariff profit but
| a further sum has been added for tue benefit of
the manufactul er under the operation of other
tarit laws. Ia the meantime, the day arr
rtves when the farmer finds it necessary to
| purchase woolen goods and material TO clothe
himself and family for the winter. " hen he
es the tradesman for that purpose he discov-
ers that he Is Obliged not only to return in the
way OF increased prices his tariff Iroht on the
| wool he sold, and which then perhaps lies be-
fore him in manufactured form, but that lie
must add II considerable sum thereto to meet
| further increase in cost caused by IA tariff duty
on the manufacture. Thus in the end he is
fmioderate purchase al snas ne mas R"ia upon r,9
scheme-wnich, when he sod ffs %ooi
SO pro1tablo-nn Increase in rrice more thnn
sufficient to sweep away all the tariff p.oht he
received upon the wool he produced and sold.
IT'S "RELENrLEs5 GRAsP.7
When the number Of farmers engaged in WOOL
raising Is compared with all tho farmers in the
country, and the small proportion they bear ID
our POI ulaton is considered; whom it is made
NJ parent that in the case of large part OF
those who own sheep, the benefit of the present
ta III ON wool is illusJry; and, above oil, when
IL must be concede that the increase of tho
cost of living caused by such tariff becomes
busden upon those with moderate means, and
tho poor, the employed and unemployed, the
sick and wSll, ana the young and ID, and that
it const tutes tax which, with relentless grasp,
is fastened upon the clothing OF every man,
woman and child in the land reasons are sug-
gested why the removal or reduction OF this
duty should be included in revision OF our
tariff laws.
In speaking Of the increased cost to the con-
s"mer of our home manufactures. resulting
I ON a duty laid upon imported articles OF the
same description, the fact is not overlooked that
compel tion among our domestic producers
sometimes has tho effect OF eepng the rico u
their products below tie highest limit allowed
by such duty But i S notorioLs that this com
ties made and fold by members OF the COM
bination, The people can hardly hope for any
consideration in the operation OF these selhsh
II. however, in tn, absence OF such combina-
tion hea thy and free competition reduces
the pr.ce OF any particular dutable article OF
home Itodu ytion below the limit which it
might otherwise reach under our tarih laws
and IT, with such reduced price, its manufac-
tine continues to thrive IL is entirely evident
that one thin, has ben discovered which
should be carefully scrut nlzed in an effort to
reduce taxation.
Irice OF { n commodity TO the trim point fur
| nishes pro- that some en- is will rg to accept
low or p ices for such conmod ~, ami that such
| prices ure remunerntive, ana lower prices pro-
! duced by conn e.iton prove the sam thing.
thus, where o tner of the co ldttionA eXist n
case wou d seem to b. pr ssented for an easy re-
| The considerations which have boen present
/ ed touching our tariff laws are intended only TO
! enforce an earnest re eonmcndation that the
surplus revenue of the Government be prevent
| ed by the -
! and Mt the same time, to emphasize sugges-
| 4; in, liQhf fnu
discharge a dou / duty to our people by grant
ing to them measure Of rel of from tari taxa
| tiCn in quarters where Il Is most needed, and
from sources wher5 it can be m )st fairly and
| justly ACCORDED.
Nor can tho presentation made OF slch con-
| siderat ols be- with any degree of fGirness, re-
| Cardel as evidences of lnfiendliness toward
| our manufacturing interests, or OF any lack OF
appr eat on OF tler value and IMPORTANCE.
! I'm SO interests con tute 10 Iding and most
! ibstun.ial element OF our national greatness,
AMI furIish tho proul proof of Our colntcys
no ;ress. But IT, in the en- rgency that presses
| surrender something for the publ, good
and to avert dis lster tht patriotism, we'll as
n grateful le iosnt on OF adyantlses already
Uion No demand s made that they hall fore
| 80 all the benefits OF governmental regard but
tuey can not fnil 10 be admonished OF their duty,
as we'll as their enligh,ensd Sc f-interest nnd
safoty, when they ure rrmin led OF the fact in 1t
financial p, mic aud collapse, e which the pres
ent cond .tlOn tends aiord no greater shelter or
| projection TO our manufactures thln to our other
| imp rtant enterprises. opportunity for safe,
| careful and deliberate reform is now offered,
aud none OF us should be unmindful OF a time
when
Az ABUSED AND IRRITATED PEOPLE,
Needless OF those who have sted timely and
| reasonable relief may insist upon n radical and
sweeping rectihcation OF thor wrongs.
The difficulty attending wise ana fair re-
| vision of our tariff laws is not undorcstimated.
1t will require Oh tho part Of our Congress great
labor and care, and especially broad and ma
tional contemplation OF the subject aud patri-
otic disregard OF such local and selfish claims
as are unreasonable and reckless OF the welfare
of the tire country.
Under our present laws more than four thou
sand articles are subject to duty. Many oi
these do not in any way compete with our own
manufactures, and m any ars hardly worth at
tention as subjects of revenue. considerable
reduction can be made in the aggregate by add
ing them to thu free list. The taxation OF lux
urIes PRESENTS no feature of hardship but the
nee sssarios OF life used and consumed by ali
the eople, the duty upon which adds to the
cost OF living In every home, should be great
choapened
the radical reduction OF the duties imposed
on raw material used i'm manufactures, or it.
free importation, is OF tourte an important ia =
tor I'm any effort to reduce the price OF these
necessafi IS; it would not only relieve them
from the increased cost causo1 by the tariff on
such material, but the manufao .ured product
be ng thus cheapened, that lart of the tarif
now laid upon such products as a comp psnsa
ton TO our manufacturers for the pres mt price
OF raw material could be accordingly
modified. Such reduction, or FREQ importa-
tiol, would serve beside to largely re
duce the revenue. It is not apparent how
| upon our manufacturers. On the contrary, A
would appear to give them better chance IL
foreign markets with the manufacturers of 9th
er countries who cheaper their wares by free
material. Thus our people might have the op
portunity OF extending their sales beyond the
limits of home consumption-saving them from